I have watched with sorrow from New York as the News of the World story has unfolded. I have seen hundreds of news reports of both actual and alleged misconduct during the time I was executive chairman of News International and responsible for the company. The pain caused to innocent people is unimaginable. That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corp, and apologize to those hurt by the actions of the News of the World.

When I left News International in December 2007, I believed that the rotten element at the News of the World had been eliminated; that important lessons had been learned; and that journalistic integrity was restored.

My testimonies before the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee were given honestly. When I appeared before the Committee in March 2007, I expressed the belief that Clive Goodman had acted alone, but made clear our investigation was continuing.

In September 2009, I told the Committee there had never been any evidence delivered to me that suggested the conduct had spread beyond one journalist. If others had evidence that wrongdoing went further, I was not told about it.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to you for a wonderful working life. My admiration and respect for you are unbounded. You have built a magnificent business since I first joined 52 years ago and it has been an honor making my contribution.

I mean the wording of that basically boils down to "I didn't know about it, please don't make me testify anywhere, I'm already on the plane so I won't suffer Dominique Strauss-Kahn's fate, send severance check by carrier pigeon to the South Pacific."

“Les and I have been on a remarkable journey together for more than 52 years. That this passage has come to an unexpected end, professionally, not personally, is a matter of much sadness to me,” commented Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation.

“On this difficult day we should appreciate that his extraordinary work has provided a platform for the future success of Dow Jones. And his great contribution to News Corporation over more than five decades has enhanced innumerable lives, whether those of employees hired by him or of readers better informed because of him.

"News Corporation is not Rupert Murdoch. It is the collective creativity and effort of many thousands of people around the world, and few individuals have given more to this Company than Les Hinton.”

He and his son are facing that committee on Tuesday, all of Monday will be nothing but 'what will he say?' Interspersed with announcements that the Sun has been sold to Borders for immediate liquidation, the ceremonial destruction of Wapping with the people still in the buildings and Chase Carey and Roger Ailes coming over to talk about how British people suck.

Would any of you recommend a simple explanation of what this is all about? I understand that phone hacking was involved, but why is this having such long legs politically? I just don't get this story but I want to!

The short version is that a lot of people had their privacy violated, including celebrities, politicians and people with close ties to famous Britain incidents like the Tube bombing.

The outrage is due to a case involving a 12?-year-old girl who was missing for days who was later found murdered; her family kept calling her phone to find her, leaving messages that filled up her voicemail, and the hackers kept deleting them to make more space so they could get more info, leading the family to believe she was alive when she wasn't.

euler, i thought it was because of suggestions/rumors/evidence that the sun and perhaps other newscorp companies had been using similar, criminal techniques to shut down police investigation into them, intimidate politicians, and generally enjoy a great deal of political influence, so that the knowledge of their criminal activity in some cases has led to suspicion that they're thoroughly rotten (and can be publicly, i.e. politically, pursued for it). xxxp

the prime minister employed as communications chief the ex-editor of the 'news of the world', who had quit after two of his employees had been jailed for hacking voicemails.

the police didn't investigate the editor at the time [because of close and in common parlance corrupt links between the police and news corp/news international] but 'most people' went along with the idea that, though he was editor, he had no idea about the hacking.

the last two weeks have blown that story to smithereens and so part of the story is about the cravenness of politicians on both sides towards murdoch. cameron had been set to give murdoch an even greater share of the uk television market -- which was already controversial.

At a parliamentary committee hearing last week, three current and former officials who ran the case were openly mocked. One member of Parliament dubbed an investigator “more Clouseau than Colombo.”

At the hearing, the senior investigator in charge of the day-to- day inquiry, Peter Clarke, blamed The News of the World’s “complete lack of cooperation” for the shortcomings in the department’s initial investigation.

While editors were not sharing any information, they were frequently breaking bread with police officers. Andy Hayman, who as head of the counterterrorism unit was running the investigation, also attended four dinners, lunches and receptions with News of the World editors, including a dinner on April 25, 2006, while his officers were gathering evidence in the case, records show. He told Parliament he never discussed the investigation with editors.

Mr. Hayman left the Metropolitan Police in December 2007 and was soon hired to write a column for The Sunday Times, a News International paper. He defended the inquiry that he led, writing in his column in July 2009 that his detectives had “left no stone unturned.”

On Friday, The New York Times learned that the former editor, Neil Wallis, was reporting back to News International while he was working for the police on the hacking case.

Executives and others at the company also enjoyed close social ties to Scotland Yard’s top officials. Since the hacking scandal began in 2006, Mr. Yates and others regularly dined with editors from News International papers, records show. Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, met for lunch or dinner 18 times with company executives and editors during the investigation, including eight occasions with Mr. Wallis while he was still working at The News of the World.

since May 2010 the Prime Minister met 26 times with Rupert Murdoch, his son James Murdoch, or former News International head Rebekah Brooks. That's nearly once every two weeks. Or as The Times put it: "His meetings with the Murdoch officials exceeded all his encounters with other British media representatives put together."